This was such a cool experience! Simple but satisfying afternoon spent splitting rocks to find a variety of cool fossils! Found a ton of small trilobites and some similar specimen that we got to take home. Brent, the manager, was extremely knowledgeable and helpful in identifying and cleaning up the fossils we found. He has the tools and know-how to make the fossils you find pop! I brought my dog with me, and there's a nice shaded area you can bring rocks over to so that the pups can stay out of the heat, and plenty of refreshments you can get at the shack! read more

See all

We live in Arizona and my wife is an amateur rockhound which means we cannot go more than a mile on back country roads without stopping lol. I found this site and purchased a 4 hour dig package as a surprise for her and to say it was a hit would be an understatement, The purchase was easy, and they kept us updated on the upcoming dig with emails and additional information which was great. This was stop two on the Great Fossil Dig Trip of 2024 and she enjoyed the whole experience We stayed in Nephi which is about 2 hours away and the driving instructions to the site were easy to read and got us there with no issues. Once off the paved highway there is a bit of a drive to the dig site, and it is on dirt roads. Just be careful and go a speed that is comfortable for you. Once at the dig site there is plenty of parking and check in was easy. The staff members were wonderful and very informative. While I opted to stay in the car and read a book, I could see the dig site and watch my wife who was like a kid in a candy store. She found many trilobite fossils and the staff person was always wondering about the site to offer advice and help. We brought plenty of bubble wrap and a container to put here treasures in. So, thank you to Janet the author of the post read more

See all

We had so much fun digging for fossils at this place, and we actually found quite a few to take home with us! The fellow at the stand who helped us (I'm sorry I cannot remember his name ) was exceptionally friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful! I'm a little bummed that we were just passing though and can't come back on a regular basis, just for fun! Highly recommend checking it out and trying your hand at fossil hunting! read more

See all

Great fun. Well organized. Brent was very helpful and friendly. (Continuing to write because yelp has min text requirement.) read more

My partner is obsessed with trilobites and has wanted to go looking for them for ages. We aren't in a place yet to be able to make the trek to U-Dig, BUT this year for his birthday I ordered some shale so he could excavate his own. U-Dig Fossils sent us a box full of shale with some visible trilobites as well to ensure that we got some. He was THRILLED. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful of a present this was in bringing a bit of the quarry to us. Thank you so much!!! read more

I'll echo what everyone said, it's great! It's a haul out there for sure though. My kids all liked it. Two hours was enough for us. Weather was great but I bet it is blazing hot in the summer. Shaded picnic tables so you can take a lunch. Porta potty's were clean as you can make them read more

U-Dig Fossils - Hobby Shops Near Me - Delta, Utah

This place is awesome for first time Rockhounds like myself. It's quite a drive out to this place and you'll go miles without cell service. Make sure you fill up your gas tank in Delta on the way out here. Very knowledgeable and nice folks. Everything you need to find your fossils is included in the price. We paid ahead of arrival on their website to avoid any payment issues being such a remote place. After arriving the gentleman easily confirmed our prepayment, handed us our gear gave us a 5 minute run through on what to do and look for and we we're on our way to finding tons of 550 million year old fossils. We spent two hours and that was plenty of time to have a bucket full of treasures to take home. This is a must do if your looking for something new and interesting to do while visiting the area. read more

See all

We had such fun here! The guide was highly knowledgeable, funny, and so kind. He checked in with us regularly and offered new areas for us to be in that might have more fossils. He made sure, before our time started, that we understood everything and knew how to do everything. He showed us what fossils were out there, with real examples from the site!, how to find them, and how to keep ourselves safe. We were provided buckets and hammer/picks. We brought our own gloves in, but there were also some there for purchase. At one point he even found a nice fossil and gave it to us. Would highly recommend!! read more

brent was awesome ! so knowledgeable we found a lot of good fossils and had a great time

YOU HAVE TO GO HERE! Found a bucket of fossils. Upgraded from two hours to four hours of digging. Jared and Kyle*? are two brothers there who had the best attitude and service. They helped me and even polished fossils i had found. They were funny, friendly, and knowledgable in trilobites and the other fossils you could find there. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done in my life. Tips: go to home depot and buy yourself gloves, safety goggles, and a bucket to take your fossils home. They provide the tools to crack the rock open and a bucket while you dig. For the drive in, it is on a dirt/gravel road that is pretty maintained. I drove a Nissan Sentra through and was fine. I also saw a prius and toyota corrolla make it there safely so don't worry about the drive in. Thanks guys for making it one of my favorite memories! I am definitely planning another trip to do this again. read more

Do you want to spend quality time with your kid or grouchy rock-hound? Cart them out to this wonderful spot deep in the desert of west-central Utah. We went in April (weather was wonderful) and did the 4-hr time. All tools are supplied , and the brief tutorial is very helpful (pro-tip: the softer shales, and bring LOTS of storage) . Excellent for dry campers, as the nearest town (Delta UT) is sparse on accommodations and services for city folk. Best to call ahead and confirm that you can indeed head out. And leave the Great Pyrenees who works the sheep ranch adjacent to the road alone; he's very devoted to his job. read more

First of all the staff that run this place are amazing! They are so incredibly sweet! They will go above and beyond to give you the attention that you deserve. They will explain everything to you and make you feel special. The experience was really fun we dug for about 4 hours and each found about 7 pretty impressive pieces, but best of all we got an experience of a life time!!! read more

U-Dig Fossils - Fossil - Hobby Shops Near Me - Delta, Utah

See all

Such a cool experience getting to dig your own fossils! We got to keep everything we found. They had buckets and hammers available, and other items like food and supplies available for purchase. It was totally worth the money and time to get there. I will come again read more

Hop into your time machine and travel 550 million years back to the past! It's one of the worlds largest oceanic treasure chest filled with a plethora of trilobite fossils. I assumed I would like this place and figured it would be enough to entertain the kiddos for two hours. I did not expect to love it myself! Mining through stacks and hillsides of rocks can seem daunting. But the fun lies within the hunt for treasures. Every time we cracked open a rock we got giddy to find out what's lurking inside. Fossils were large, small, and even multiples sprinkled within one rock. Having kiddos nearby is super helpful since they have keen eyes to spot shapes and patterns among the rocks. We even found a large trilobite worth over $75. Make sure to not pop them out, per the workers, they're worth more in stone then out of stone. Speaking of workers, the staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. We weren't sure if we needed more than two hours to find what we were looking for. Even more importantly, we didn't know if our kiddos would last that long. They let us work at our own pace and pay if we needed more time. Two hours turned out to be perfect. The workers also polished a couple of our big fossils to take home. You get to keep every fossil you find, so don't be shy. We had so much fun that this is going to become an annual tradition. Next time we'll prepare a bit more and make sure to bring the following checklist items: #1: Gloves: our blistering and bleeding fingers needed it #2: Safety goggles: we thought it was bit nerdy at first, until rocks randomly fly as you're hammering...at least nerds have good eyesight #3: More water: we had two bottles per person, not enough #4: Our own bucket: they provide you one for the dig but after you're done how do you get them home? Things that make you go hmmmm! #5: Good thick soled shoes: I'm the queen of flip flops, they did not come in handy while walking over sharp rocks #6: Bandaids: the workers provide them in case of hammering mishaps (which we hear happens multiple times a day), it's always good to have them for backup #7: Wet wipes: there will be dust everywhere, literally everywhere #8: Fun items for the road trip: although you think they're near Delta, you still have 1.5 more hours to go. Bring games to entertain the melting kiddos Besides the above checklist, just put on your paleontologist hats and get to work! read more

See all

What a cool experience! So first look at the website! The site has the actual map to this quarry. I would say bring water a hat and gloves. We split rocks and found some really interesting things and quite a few fossils... I was addicted to the hunt lol... my boys weren't interested in staying more than 2 hours... the young man that got us all set up was really nice and listened to all the questions and thoughts of our oldest, and was super happy for him when ge came back with a bucket of fossil chunks. Thank you! We had a great time... read more

The best place period for this type of trilobyte The owner and his family are first rate wonderful people who even though it was extremely hot and busy made special accommodations for us His help and knowledge made it a wonderful couple hours We would recommend u dig over all the other pop up dig sites that have appeared the last decade in this area They also showed us how to get to public access dig sites and we added to our collection there too Two thumbs up! read more

I had a wonderful time collecting Trilobites from u-dig Fossils! They provide practically everything you need to search for Trilobites...it's advised that you bring a pair of gloves, safety glasses and you should dress in layers due to change of weather! Don't forget your food and water and a container transport your treasure! GPS Coordinates N 39' 21' 17.4 W 113' 16' 43.4 read more

If you like activity this is your place! Easy rocks to crack and you find many trilobites. Site is 1 hour west of Delta, 20 on well maintained gravel road. 2 hours is more than enough time to find 4-6 great trilobites. read more

U-Dig Fossils - Hobby Shops Near Me - Delta, Utah

See all

Drove 1000 miles just to visit this quarry and get a few nice specimens of trilobite. E-mailed the people from the website to confirm, and was assured that they will be open. Arrived at the quarry at 8am, the time listed as they are open for business. Quarry was locked up and not a person in sight. Sat around for over an hour waiting....Nothing. Drove up to the quarry right above U-Dig Fossils, it is called A-New Dig. Jennifer, who is the owner of the property welcomed us with open arms, showed us the ropes and set us loose and charged us less then U-Digs posted rates. Normally I am not one to post bad reviews, as I understand that people can be unhappy no matter what you do for them. But 1000 miles, 16 hour drive and you cant even be open at the hours you have listed and assured me that you would be open from... Bad business practice! read more

I would give this place a five star rating, but the drive out to it can be intimidating. Once you get there, you will enjoy easily finding fossils, which is exciting for your whole family. There are six kinds of Trilobites found here, 3 are common, and 3 are more rare. Other fossils can be found too, but you won't leave empty handed. Your buckets will be overflowing with fossils. So many that we had to leave some behind. I will warn you to be very careful where you park. The rocks on the gravel road are extremely sharp, and we did witness vehicles with flat tires next to our car. Park further away and walk, if you have to, because the closer you get to the site, the sharper the rocks are on the road. read more

Yes, you will find fossils! This place is out in the middle of nowhere (~45 minutes outside of Delta, UT (20 miles on gravel road). However, I have to say that the drive was part of the fun (the kids loved the dips). We saw antelope during our drive. Bring what you need to survive. They have outhouses, but no water or other services. They will provide the picks and advice on where to dig. You can expect to find lots of trilobite fossils. Back in the day, these critters would molt, so you may find their shells... which are still great trophies. If the head is intact, then it's the original. We brought our 6 and 3 yr olds. The 3 yr old wasn't that into the experience, but being able to hit rocks and hold a hammer kept him entertained for two hours. Go in the morning to escape the heat. It also gets more crowded during the day. In the past year, a competitor has sprung up on the other side of the hill. From what I learned, they are lower priced, but seem to be more of a fly-by-night thing (no insurance or customer service). U-Dig has been around since the 1960's. I recommend sticking with the original. On a separate note, the map on Yelp doesn't show the true location. This is their mailing address in Delta. The dig location is between mile markers 56-57 west of Delta on highway 50. read more

Went here as part of my annual Summer roadtrip with my son. He was six (and a half - just ask him) at the time we visited U-Dig Fossils. We dry camped in an area about 1/4 mile away, up Death Canyon Road (what a cool name). Getting to the quarry from Delta, UT can be time consuming, and much of the final 20 miles (or more depending on route) is via a gravel road, but just take your time. Most of the gravel road was in excellent condition, but a few sections of washboard do suggest a modest pace for those areas. There are no camping services around, so come fully prepared. The temperatures at the quarry are cooler than Delta, UT due to the higher elevation. Since my son is young, we opted for a four hour digging expedition at the Quarry, rather than attempt an all-day dig. Bevan, one of the Quarry operators, was there to give us the run-down, offer some hints, and get us started. It's a fairly large quarry, but at the time we were there, we were the only customers until later in the day. Bevan gave us some suggestions on where to start searching the rocks for trilobites, and how to split the rock. The rock is not chain-gang worthy, where you have to be 6'6", 320lbs, be named Bubba, and have a tattoo on your bicep that says 'Mom' surrounded by barbed wire. The rock was actually quite easy to split, using the chisel hammers that are provided at the quarry as part of the fee. No offense intended if your name is Bubba. My son and I found quite a few fossils, with a number of them in the definite keeper category, though of course he wanted to keep each and very fragment of a fossil, and every fossil exposed but still in the matrix (rock). Not all fossils should be removed from the rock, as you do take some risk in breaking the fossil. Unless you are more selective than a 6 1/2 year old, the weight of the rock you take home will start to add up, be sure to bring a strong box, or like we did, a 5 gallon plastic bucket and lid from Lowes or Home Depot. The quarry provided us a bucket to collect the fossils/rocks in, and then we transferred them to our bucket. Bevan even cleaned up some of the fossils for us, though I'm sure that's dependent on how many people are there at any given time, how much time he has on his hands, and whether or not you're an annoying individual. I think this service was just Bevan's way of saying 'thanks for visiting' and is not part of the digging fee. Searching for trilobites EASILY kept my son's attention for the 4 hours we were there, and I enjoyed every minute of it as well. I can't imagine anyone not finding any trilobites here if they even spend only 15 minutes looking. I've already made plans for us to go back again this year, this time for two 4 hour sessions on back to back days. The fact that we're going back says it all. [EDIT: I forgot to mention that while camped, we had a small herd of 5-6 wild horses pass by each evening. Pretty awesome!] read more

See all

I've been here a couple of times with my son and we both love it! Great for kids and adults alike. The owner is so friendly and helpful with finding trilobites, not that you'll have any trouble. They flake out of the sandstone left and right. Lots of pieces and a few whole ones. Worth the drive!!! read more

This place is so good, I've been here twice. The first time was for my graduation trip and I kept talking about how awesome it was, so when my husband and I were planning our honeymoon he had expressed a lot of interest in coming here. We were married at the beginning of November, but their season closed at the end of October due to the weather. Shayne the owner was more than accommodating to work with us so that we could still go out and hunt for fossils (do note that you'd be better off calling them than emailing, they don't get on the computer much up there). He had someone meet us out at the site, and because their season was technically closed, we had the whole place to ourselves! We found a ton of great specimens and our trilobite guide was super helpful in getting us in the right areas to find some big ones. Thank you again for making our honeymoon so special! We will definitely be back in the future for our anniversary! read more

See all

I got some family and friends together and we headed out to U-Dig. It was about a 3.5 hour trip from SLC and an easy drive. The last leg of the trip is a well maintained dirt road. Although the road looked like it has had washouts in the past, they had been repaired. I feel the entry fee is high, $28 per person for 2 hours, $40 for 4 hours - I didn't look much past that because I knew I wouldn't last in the heat. However the sting of the high fee is offset with a friendly, knowledgeable staff who will cut and polish the fossils you find at the end of your dig. Be sure to tip them. They do a good job! There is immediate gratification with the dig. Fossils are easy to find and everybody went home with something. There are several pits dug out and groups are sent in different directions so we didn't feel crowded. I imagine a couple of Boy Scout troupes could quickly change that scenario. It was a fun time! We'll be back! read more

U-Dig Fossils - June 20, 2015 U-Dig - Hobby Shops Near Me - Delta, Utah

I was on a business trip to Utah and for the weekend flew my family down specifically to fulfill a bucket list item.... Hunting for fossils. My wife and 2 teenage kids joined me to go down to this location. I was a bit paranoid about driving over three hours and having to turn around if nobody was there per other reviews I had read. Thus, once we reached Delta, I called and was told that they were closed that day because of the rain and water crossing road in two places. I informed the nice lady that I had so far driven three hours to get to that point and she said that I could call the person at the quarry because he had made it out there and had mentioned that water was coming over the gravel road. I replied that this was not a problem because I was in an SUV and had come so far that I was willing to go out there "come hell or high water." I was also willing to wait a couple hours as well. I left a voicemail for him and also sent a text message that was confirmed delivered. It was raining but we were determined to do trilobite hunting regardless because of the time we had invested to get out there. While awaiting his response, we went to the great basin museum, the local rock store, and out to the Topaz internment camp site. The gentleman at the quarry did not have the courtesy to call or text to say yay or nay in those two hours so we drove the 3 hours back. I write this a couple days after without any response whatsoever. Although weather was a factor in this scenario, The amount of effort required to get to their location should deserve the courtesy of a return phone call when one has jumped through many hoops to get there. Warning! Always call before you attempt the long drive to go out there to be sure that they are open. Do NOT go there when it is raining. The local rock store owner told us that they are closed at this time of year anyhow which is contrary to what their website says. read more

This place is truly awesome, and we can't recommend it enough. It was completely worth the drive, the effort, the heat, everything. For us, it was cooler than Las Vegas, even at 3pm in mid-June. I love geology, but you don't really need any knowledge as Robin, the owner, loves what he does & it shows. He will answer any questions & set you up for success for your dig. He will hook you up with everything you need, and definitely goes the extra mile to inspire you with the love for fossils. We saw tons of wildlife on our trip there, as well, & our high clearance sedan made the drive with no issue. We left with beautiful specimens that we will treasure. We can't wait to be back, and definitely have a new hobby rockhounding. This place was definitely friendly for kids & a great way to spend our daytrip unplugged from our phones & enjoying nature. Thanks again! read more

My wife and made the trip to U-Dig Fossils on 6/25/14. We arrived at 9am and met Gene. Great guy, very helpful and friendly. He took us to a dig site and showed us how to find the trilobites, It was only a few minutes and we found our first. The 2 hours was just right as we found quite a few fossils in that period. Before we left Gene cleaned a couple of our best examples. read more

I had a really good time at U-Dig! The people were friendly and helpful, the rocks were easy to break, and I found all kinds of great trilobite fossils. They even let me take home some big, unbroken rocks so my kids could have fun breaking them up. Don't forget to bring sunscreen and water. read more